by Indie Gantz
Kor pushes his own idea into my mind after helping Charlie beat off the green-haired Fotián whose burn mark no longer scars my cheek. I’m going to bind those that remain. I want you and Avias to add to the bind by pushing against it from all sides. Have Charlie and Oleander create a dust storm around the bind so that they cannot see past the force field. Have Calor prepare our vehicle for escape. Do you understand?
Yes. You intend us to escape while they are bound?
Yes.
Close mind.
I have less than a minute to relay Kor’s instructions before Kor’s arms are up and he is summoning his remaining strength. The force of Kor’s cast is instantaneous and explosive. Powerful. His targets are immediately thrown together in a tight clump of torsos and limbs, almost as if a piece of rope has wrapped around them all and is holding them together. The captured have yet to react, the swiftness of Kor’s cast catching them off guard before they are able to defend themselves.
Avias and I raise our hands and manipulate the air pressure around the bind to push even harder against the group, keeping the bind and our prisoners in place. My powers are not as strong as they should be. I haven’t had enough time to rest after my injury. Weak. Fatigued. Push through.
Charlie and Oleander work quickly after our cast, their arms outstretched towards the sky as they lift individual grains of sand off of the ground. The sand begins to swirl around the bound group of Téssera, a winding circle of shimmering silica. We cannot see within the sandstorm, which means those inside cannot see outside of it.
“Move!” Kor yells from in front of us.
“What about you?” Bo shouts through the now open car door. “We’re not leaving you!”
“I’ll catch up,” Kor answers quickly. “Avias, Tirigan, you two stay and help keep the bind. Oleander and Charlie hold the storm as long as you can as you retreat. When the storm falls, we will make our escape. Everyone understand?”
“That won’t work,” I reply loudly. Too many uncalculated variables. Failure inevitable.
The result of Kor’s plan is obvious, he must know this. If we retreat, leaving our enemies capable of following, they will catch up with us eventually. There is no escaping a group of flying Téssera with mere minutes of a head start. The plan will not work. The remaining hostile Téssera need to be incapacitated before we retreat. They need to-
“Just do as I say, please,” Kor responds back quickly. Beads of sweat fall from his temples.
Charlie pushes at my mind just as I close it off to Kor.
Open mind: Charlie
We can’t let them follow us.
I realize this. What would you have me do? I feel the shift of her thoughts, of her emotions, before I hear her voice in my head again.
That man you hit is dead.
I know.
Are you okay?
I can’t think about that right now.
Better him than you. There is a tremor, a shake to her mind. Fear. She is thinking recklessly. She isn’t thinking at all. Better them than us.
Charlie, do not do what I feel you are thinking about doing.
They can’t follow us, Tirigan. We can’t leave this family open to danger like this. We can’t-
It’s murder, I respond authoritatively. She can’t do this.
Is it? Her question rattles me, but I can’t let her see.
Absolutely.
You don’t know that. We don’t even know where-
“No,” I say aloud, raising my voice over the sand storm. “Charlie, no!” Avias jerks his head towards me, a question in his eyes that I cannot answer.
Charlie closes her mind. I push against it. Her defense is strong. I can’t break past it without losing some of the force of my cast. Her hands are still up, still holding the sandstorm with Oleander.
And then she lets her arms drop. Her eyes close.
“Charlie! NO!” I shout, losing most of my hold on the bind.
Oleander and Avias turn towards her, and Kor whips his head back to find the cause of my distress. He looks exhausted. Ready to collapse. There are sweat stains in his clothing, beads of it streaming down his forehead. The bind will fall any second. It won’t matter. Charlie’s eyes are open again, staring coldly out at the dwindling sandstorm and the bind that lies within it.
“It’s done,” she whispers.
My arms fall, my cast terminated.
“Tirigan, what are you doing? Help me!” Avias cries.
Open mind: Avias.
There is no point.
What? Avias questions. He’s frantic.
Close mind.
Kor falls to the ground ahead of us, completely drained of power. Seconds later, the last of Oleander’s storm dies out. Oleander looks as though he may collapse next, but he keeps his feet long enough to stumble to Kor and check on him. Avias’ arms are still raised, but I place my hand on his forearm and push it down gently. Unnecessary. I release him the moment his cast ends. He stares at me expectantly.
“Tirigan?” His eyes are on me, but mine are on what was once a group of ensnared Téssera and now is nothing at all.
Day Eight: Charlie
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
The Impetus to Become Whole
We make it to the train and settle Tirigan onto one of the first open bunk beds we see. Avias and Oleander traded off helping me get him there, Tirigan complaining telepathically most of the way. Everyone else juggled bags, unsold boxes of clothing and accessories, or boxes of traded stones. Robin and Cyra raced ahead of our group, each of them with a small backpack on their backs. By the time we settle into our pod, I really do feel as exhausted as I’m supposed to be. Avias helps me attend to Tirigan’s injury by finding me fresh bandages, and gives us privacy while I re-dress the wound. It’d be a mistake to let anyone lay eyes on the state of Tirigan’s injury. When I’m finished, Avias returns and insists I get some rest, promising to watch over Tirigan for me.
“I am not a child,” Tirigan complains, wincing as he tries to get more comfortable in his bed. “I do not need to be watched over.”
Avias gives Tirigan an unconvinced look then looks back to me. “Honestly, I’m surprised you can stand after a cast that powerful.”
“Oh, I- uh, I am too, actually,” I reply nervously, faking a yawn halfway through. “You’re right, I really should lie down.”
“Can I bring you anything?” Oleander asks from the area across from ours. “Water? Food? Some tea and a biscuit?”
I chuckle weakly and shake my head no. “I’m okay. I’m just going to go to sleep for a little while.” I look down at Tirigan, who’s struggling to get comfortable on the bed. “Are you going to be okay if I…”
Be quiet and go to sleep, Charlie.
“Right,” I reply, giving him a curt nod. “Got it.” Avias takes a seat at the desk in our area and looks like he might just stare at Tirigan for the next hour. “Um, what are you planning to do, Avias?” I ask, pulling myself up to the top bunk.
“I said I would watch over Tirigan.”
Is he honestly going to sit there and stare at me while I sleep?
I can’t help but giggle as I settle into the pillow. Take it as a compliment.
What is he complimenting?
I stifle another laugh. “Hey, Tirigan, did you happen to bring Swann’s Way with you?”
What? Why are you asking me that?
Just answer me. Out loud.
“Yes. I did.” Annoyance coats every syllable.
“Great.” I lean over the railing of the top bunk and look down at Avias, who is still staring at Tirigan. “There you go Avias, something more interesting than Tirigan to look at.”
“Oh,” Avias responds awkwardly. His cheeks are noticeably pinker than they were seconds before. “Um, yes. I’d love to borrow it if you wouldn’t mind, Tirigan.”
“Of course,” Tirigan says from below me. “It’s in my backpack.”
“Thank you.”
I turn over to face the wall while he
opens Tirigan’s backpack and pulls the book out. I can hear Vi and Kor getting their children settled in the areas next to ours, and Bo hums something familiar from the top bunk across the way. Grateful that I have an excuse not to engage with anyone, I keep my eyes firmly on the wall my bunk is pressed against.
After what happened with Tirigan, I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to hide myself more. We definitely screwed up, but we couldn’t just let Tirigan bleed out. Even if he was technically going to heal anyway, a wound like that would take him days, and he would be in a lot of pain. I also can’t even be sure the injury wouldn’t have been fatal. Now that we know we aren’t full Anunnaki, our slower healing rate makes a lot more sense, and we have no real gauge for what could kill us. What couldn’t we come back from?
My eyes sting a little from the light the window next to my bunk is letting in. It’s enough to keep me awake for now, even if I’m beginning to feel the effects of the stress from this morning. I feel like I’m being split in half when I think about our situation, and it’s wearing me down.
Should I channel Tirigan’s ability to separate his emotions and focus on what needs to be done? We have a goal, and making and keeping friends isn’t part of that goal. We need to focus, remain devoted to finding out as much as we can about Calla and this world, so we can better our chances at finding her. I should ignore the feelings I’m starting to have for these people and concentrate only on the feelings I have for my mother and father. Hold on to my family, to save my family.
I can tell myself these things over and over, and I can understand them.
But I also understand the very real heartache that comes along with looking into these people’s eyes and lying to them. I’m not the kind of person that treats people this way. I’m not manipulative, let alone deceitful. I hate that we have to hide who we are, that we have to present ourselves in a way that makes these people feel responsible for us. It isn’t fair to them, and it certainly isn’t fair to who we really are. Tirigan and I, we could take care of ourselves with no problem if we had to. We are strong when we are together, and we could make it through anything. The way we have latched on to this family goes against my very nature.
But it must be done. I can’t see another way. I want to; I want to find a way not to have to lie. I want to be able to just be who we are, but that isn’t the world we live in.
I let out a trembling sigh, feeling myself slowly starting to slip away toward sleep.
Would they accept us if they knew us, really knew us? They only know the people we are pushing towards them, not the people we truly are. If our new friends could see our true selves, would they still be bringing us home with them?
Part of me is glad we can’t share who we really are. If we told our new friends the truth and they couldn’t accept us, it would hurt ten times more than having to hide. So we lie. To protect our secret and to protect ourselves.
◆◆◆
When I wake up, the pod is considerably darker, and everyone else has gone to sleep.
Avias is hunched over awkwardly at the desk in our area, his eyes closed and his mouth slack. Swann’s Way is sitting open on the desk and a barely touched plate of food sits beside it.
Oleander snores from across the pod, and I wonder how I would theoretically go about trying one of those silencer casts. My thoughts stutter around noise wavelengths and how to manipulate them. I’m ready to give up when my stomach grumbles. The bread and few bites of pear I ate this morning is the only thing I’ve had all day.
Climbing down from the top bunk, I peek in on Tirigan. He’s sleeping soundly, his body propped up slightly on a pillow, his head facing away from the wall. I’m tempted to wake him to see if he wants something to eat too, but he looks too peaceful to disturb. Avias, however, doesn’t look so lucky. The position of his neck assures he’ll be very sore when he wakes up, and the bags under his eyes tell me he stayed awake longer than he should have. I have a fleeting curiosity as to what he spent more time looking at, his book or my brother.
Shaking his shoulder softly, I whisper Avias’ name then take a step back when he jolts awake.
“What?” He murmurs softly, still half asleep.
“Hey, it’s okay,” I whisper. “You should go to bed. I’ve got Tirigan. Thanks for keeping an eye on him.”
Avias still looks confused, but then looks to my brother and his expression settles slightly. “Are you feeling better?”
I nod. “Loads. I’m going to go see if I can scrounge up some food somewhere.” I take a pointed look at his untouched dinner. “Care to join me?”
He yawns and stands up into a stretch. “Yes, that sounds good. They leave out snacks between meals. We should be able to find something.”
“Great,” I reply. “I’m starving.”
“Well, let’s see what we can do about that.” He smiles down at me and gestures me forward. “After you.”
I lead us out of our pod and walk through four others filled with sleeping Téssera before arriving in the dining pod. Avias was right; there’s a table set out at the far end of the pod with various snacks on it. The pod is lit only by soft yellow lights around the bottom of the room, cast in shadows from the moon. The pod rocks slightly, steadily racing south.
I go for the peanut butter straight away and put a spoonful of it in my mouth. Peanut butter is scarce where we come from, usually only manufactured in the bigger cities. The instant the smooth richness of the peanut flavor coats my tongue, I hum happily around the spoon.
“That’s disgusting,” Avias protests from beside me, his hungry eyes betraying his repulsion.
“Want some?” I say, mouth full of peanut butter.
I offer the spoon, and Avias stares at it like it’s about to explode. It reminds me of Tirigan and his extreme distaste for sharing utensils. After a minute though, Avias surprises me by taking the spoon and slipping it between his lips. He makes an appreciative groan, and I smile smugly.
“See? That propriety thing you’ve got going is no fun when there’s peanut butter available.”
“Duly noted,” Avias replies, licking the spoon clean. He dives back into the peanut butter can. Snickering, I turn around to find another snack. I land on a bag of what looks like homemade cookies and take them to an empty table. I hop up and cross my legs.
“There are seats available,” Avias chastises, joining me, but sitting on the bench next to the table.
“And I thought you were doing so well.” I shake my head in disappointment. “No wonder you and Tirigan get along. You’re just as much a rule follower as he is.”
Avias ducks his head back towards the peanut butter in his hand. “You sound like Bo.”
“Well, I guess you both need sisters like us to keep you interesting.”
Avias chuckles softly. “Yes, well, I suppose Tirigan and I should be lucky to have you both then.”
I stuff another cookie into my mouth and shrug. “I don’t know if Tirigan sees it that way.” I’m not really sure why I say this, it’s a lot more personal than I intended to get. Being around Avias is a lot like being around Tirigan, and it’s easy to forget I’m not exactly safe to say whatever I want.
Avias gives me a questioning look after my comment sits there a moment. “Why? You two seem extremely close.”
“Oh, we are,” I amend, aiming for nonchalance. “That doesn’t mean we don’t get on each other’s nerves.”
Avias lets out a small chuckle, but settles quickly. He puts the peanut butter and spoon on the table as if readying himself for a conversation I’m sure I’d rather avoid.
“I’m glad I have the chance to talk to you alone,” he says finally, after a few minutes of awkward silence. “What happened before, with Tirigan’s injury, I want you to know that I didn’t move that knife. I don’t know how or why it turned, but it wasn’t me.”
“Avias,” I reply back softly, “I know. It wasn’t even a question. Don’t worry.” I don’t know why I’m so sure of Avias’ innocence, but I am
.
“All right,” he replies, sighing a breath of relief. “Good.”
There’s more the Aérasian wants to say, I can tell by the way his eyes dart around mine, but I really don’t want to talk anymore about this. The fact that Tirigan was stabbed by a rogue knife hasn’t escaped my thoughts. It’s a mystery, and one I don’t know how to go about solving.
“How do you think it happened then, if not me?” Avias asks, his head tilted in a familiar gesture. “I was the only Aérasian around, besides Tirigan, and I don’t think he stabbed himself.”
“Let’s hope not,” I say lightly. I stand up and seal the bag of cookies. “I don’t know. It’s strange, but I guess he and I don’t really have a whole lot of control over our powers. He could have done it accidentally.” I walk back over to the table and grab a banana and a knife. The train sways slightly, and I steady myself with a hand on the buffet table.
“Wouldn’t he have said something if he thought it was him?”
I shrug and move back toward Avias, grabbing the peanut butter from his side. Avias’ question is a good one, but once again, I don’t know how to answer it. I was so distracted by Tirigan’s injury and trying to heal him that I didn’t give it much thought before. Despite what I said to Avias, I don’t think Tirigan screwed up and stabbed himself. He has moderate control over Aéras now, and I seriously doubt he’s responsible. If it wasn’t Avias or Tirigan, that leaves only one other person with the ability to move it. Me.
“Well, I’m assuming you’ll want to stay with him when we get back home. I can suffer through Ollie’s deviated septum to make sure Tirigan gets taken care of,” Avias teases, a hint of a smile on his lips.
The door to the dining pod opens behind us. The room is dark, just barely lit by the moon and dim lights along the floor, but I can see the person who enters clearly. His skin is fairer than I remember seeing on the battlefield and there’s a dusting of freckles along his nose and under his cheeks that I couldn’t see before.